Put My Heart Down
by Skye Coulson
Summary: Tony & Gibbs break up and shortly after Tony starts dating someone new, Gibbs learns that he's pregnant with Tony's baby. When Tony chooses their baby over his new man, he finally grows a pair and admits that he loves Tony. WARNINGS: SLASH! MPREG!
1. Just Like It Was A Loaded Gun

**Put My Heart Down**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:  
** As per usual, I own nothing. I mean, really … Y'all really should know that, by now. Lol

 **Rating:  
** T

 **Genre:  
** Romance/Drama/Family (with just a kiss of angst)

 **Pairing(s):  
** Tibbs  
Tony/OC

 **Lyrics Used:  
** Sara Evans - "Put My Heart Down"

* * *

Just Like It Was A Loaded Gun

* * *

 _So pack up all your things and just leave some air to breathe | A million toxic tears fallin' like rain 'round here | This is the final hour | The end of our story tonight | And, I don't wanna fight_

 _So put my heart down, put my heart down | Put my heart down, put my heart down | And, walk away | Just like it was a loaded gun | Put my heart down, put my heart down | Put my heart down, put my heart down | And walk away | This kind of love | Is dangerous_

* * *

Eight weeks ago, Leroy Jethro Gibbs never would have thought he'd find himself, here. Four weeks ago, his lover and senior field agent – Tony DiNozzo – had walked out on him. And as much as he hated to admit it … It really was all his fault. Every time Tony told him that he loved him, Gibbs wanted to say it back – he _tried_ to say it back. But, every time he tried, he froze and the words just died in his throat. He could make up just about any excuse he wanted. But, when it came right down to it … He was scared. The big bad Agent Gibbs was scared. He'd never fallen so completely for someone – given any _one person_ such complete and total control over his life to where a single individual could either make or break him – since he'd met Shannon. And, every time he tried to tell Tony how he felt, he became overwhelmed by a sudden, inexplicable fear that something would happen and he would lose Tony – just like he'd lost Shannon. And, yet, little did he know that would be a self-fulfilling prophecy. His fear of losing Tony had caused him to lose Tony. The irony of his situation was not lost on him.

Unfortunately, that was not the only irony in Gibbs' current situation. Gibbs and Tony had talked about wanting to have kids, together. However, it had never worked out for them. After a few failed attempts, it began to look like it just wasn't in the cards for them. But, now … eight weeks later … Here, he was, terrified that the last attempt had succeeded as he'd been feeling inexplicably nauseous throughout the days for the last couple of weeks. At first, he'd tried to tell himself it was just a stomach bug. But, when he'd lost the ability tolerate the aroma of his precious coffee – with no foreseeable end in sight … He'd begun to suspect that something else may be at play as he'd decided to go and see his doctor.

As he sat in the doctor's office, Gibbs couldn't help thinking how he didn't want to be here alone. But, it was his own damn fault. Tony would have been thrilled to be there with him eight weeks ago. But, as per his usual, he'd fucked it all up, royally.

* * *

" _Would you just_ talk _to me?!" Tony begged, the desperation in his eyes echoed in his voice. "Jethro,_ please _! You_ know _I love you … But, I need to hear you say it …" The younger man begged. It had been a constant struggle of Jethro's. It wasn't that he didn't love Tony or that he didn't want to voice it. He was just scared. Pure, plain, and simple. Leroy Jethro Gibbs was scared. "Even if you can't actually_ say _that you love me … If you're scared, or whatever … Just tell me_ that _and that'll be enough! We can work through that, together!"_

 _It was so tempting. All he had to do was open his mouth and just say two simple little words. 'I'm scared.' That was all he had to say and he would still have the one person that meant everything in the world to him by his side. But, no! Gibbs wasn't even_ that _brave. He couldn't even admit to the love of his life that he was scared._ How pathetic am I? _Gibbs had berated himself._

" _Still nothing?!" Tony begged, tears streaming down his face, freely, now. "I lay my heart and soul to bare for you and you can't say a damn_ word _?!" Tony had gone on an emotional rampage, packing everything of his he could find into a couple of duffle bags. Gibbs was too paralyzed by his fear to move or even say anything to stop his young lover. Once he'd finished, Tony'd laid the bags by the front door before turning to Gibbs, one last time. "I love you, yes. But, I am not a door mat. I can't do this anymore, Jethro. I love you and I would do anything for you … But, I don't even know if you feel the same way or not – you never say anything – so, for all I know, you_ don't _love me. Maybe you did, once, and maybe you didn't. I'll never know because you never say anything. … But, before I go …" Tony closed the gap between them in just a few long strides as he grabbed Gibbs's face between his hands and kissed him for all he was worth. He poured his heart and soul into that kiss and Jethro tried to reciprocate – loathing himself for the salty taste of the tears streaming down their faces. But, apparently, it had been too little too late. Tony wrenched himself out of Gibbs's grasp and returned to the door, grabbing his bags along the way, and storming out of the house without looking back._

* * *

"Mr. Gibbs?" The nurse snapped Gibbs out of his reverie as the nurse called his name – though, he could still taste the kiss that had haunted him for the last four weeks. "The doctor will see you, now." The young nurse smiled, pleasantly. Gibbs, for his part, had tried to reciprocate, but, he just didn't have it in him, anymore. Tony had been the only one to get a true, genuine smile out of him. Now that he was gone, Gibbs just didn't have it in him to smile, anymore.

"Thank you." He spoke, quietly, as he followed the nurse into one of the waiting exam rooms.

"So, I understand you're here to see the doctor about some persisting nausea?" The nurse asked, reviewing Gibbs's chart on her computer.

"Yes." Gibbs replied, gruffly. "'Bout the last two weeks or so …"

"I see." The nurse hummed, thoughtfully, as she entered the requisite notes into the computer. "Have you been experiencing any other symptoms? Fatigue, dizziness, headaches …?" She prompted.

"Been a little tired, I guess." Gibbs shrugged. _Happens when you lose the one thing that helped you sleep at night._ He thought, to himself, bitterly. "And, since the smell of coffee has recently become intolerable, yeah, I've had a few headaches."

"Interesting." The nurse hummed, again, as she made more notes in the computer before turning back to Gibbs. "I'm just gonna check some of your vitals and, then, the doctor will be in shortly." She smiled, before turning to pull on a pair of exam gloves. She then picked up a device that Gibbs recognized as a temporal thermometer before running said device across the length of his forehead. "Ninety-eight-point-six." The nurse announced satisfied. "Let's just check your blood pressure, then, shall we?" She added, wrapping the cuff around Jethro's arm. _Oh, this oughtta be good …_ He thought to himself as the nurse plugged the earpieces of her stethoscope into her ears, placing the end underneath the cuff against his arm before she began pumping the cuff up with air. Wincing, slightly, as the cuff reached its peak, he felt relieved as the nurse began to slowly deflate the cuff as she got her numbers before releasing the rest of the air. "One-thirty over eighty-five." The nurse smiled, apparently satisfied. "Well, everything looks good, so far …" She replied, entering the findings into the computer. "I'm just gonna hand these over to the doctor and she'll be right in."

"Thank you." Gibbs replied, simply, as the nurse nodded in response and left – lightly closing the door behind her – leaving the special agent alone with his thoughts. Sighing heavily, he closed his eyes against the tears that stung his eyes as he wished, once again, that Tony had been there with him. "Stop it." He growled, to himself, slapping himself on the back of the head, trying to get himself together.

* * *

"That's weird." _Very_ Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo mused, curiously, as he walked into the bullpen, immediately noticing the absence of their fearless leader. "Gibbs isn't here?" He questioned. "But, I'm just getting here and he's _always_ here before me … Before any of us, actually."

"Vance was just by here." McGee shrugged, casually. "Said something about Gibbs having a doctor's appointment and that he'd be in a little later."

That news put Tony on edge. Sure, he and Gibbs may not be together anymore. But, that didn't mean that Tony didn't still care about the man's well-being. After all, it was his _job_ to care. Tony was the one charged with having Gibbs's back. So, it made sense for him to care. At least that was what he always told himself, any more. "Oh. Okay." He shrugged, trying to shake his mind clear of the concern that he felt for the older agent.

McGee sympathized with friend and colleague. After Tony'd left Gibbs, McGee had allowed him to stay with him until he found another apartment. He knew the break-up had been hard on the senior field agent. Tim couldn't imagine how hard it must have been not knowing where you stood with the man you loved. Though, he'd been surprised how quickly Tony'd bounced back. Two weeks later, he was dating the real estate agent that had found him his new apartment. But, he supposed that was just Tony's way of dealing with things.

"You seem awfully perky." Ziva noted, suspiciously. "What are you so excited about?"

"Well, if you _must_ know, Zee-vah … Wren and I have a date, tonight!" Tony smiled, proudly, as he slid into the chair behind his desk. "He's going to be making me an _authentic_ Italian dinner at his place – everything made from scratch – mm! My mouth's watering, just thinking about it!" He grinned, not unlike the Cheshire Cat.

* * *

"Good morning, Jethro!" Doctor Spencer Cavanaugh greeted, brightly, entering her patient's exam room.

"Morning." Jethro replied, simply.

"They tell me you've been experiencing persistent nausea for the last couple of weeks." Doctor Cavanaugh replied, reviewing her notes.

"Yeah, it kinda comes and goes, but, it's definitely daily. And, just recently, certain smells have been making it worse." Jethro elaborated.

"I see …" The doctor hummed in thought. "Does it happen at the same time of day?"

"Usually." Jethro nodded. "Seems to be worst in the morning. But, sometimes, it can hit during the afternoons or evenings. It's woken me up in the middle of the night, a couple times." He added, recalling all that he could about his nausea.

"Interesting." The doctor replied, pulling on a pair of exam gloves as she turned toward him. "All right, Jethro, why don't you just go ahead and lay back for me?" She requested, as Jethro complied – lying back on the exam table. "Does that hurt?" She asked, gently pressing her hands into the flesh on Jethro's stomach.

"No." Jethro replied, shaking his head slightly, as the doctor continued moving around his stomach, repeating the same actions as the special agent kept giving the same answer.

After completing a few more physical exams, Doctor Cavanaugh readied a syringe. "All right, Jethro … I'm just gonna draw some blood samples and you'll be on your way." She stated, rolling the man's sleeve up, exposing the necessary part of the arm. "You're gonna feel a pinch." She warned, inserting the needle into the skin. Jethro winced, just a bit, at the initial sting. Once the needle was in, the doctor attached the vial, allowing the blood to fill the vial. Detaching the first vial, she replaced it with a second which filled just as quickly. Removing the vial, she used her free hand to reach for a band-aid before pulling the needle out of the skin – replacing it with the band-aid. "All right, Jethro …" Doctor Cavanaugh began, as Jethro rolled his sleeve back down. "I'm just gonna get these off to the lab and we'll see if we can come up with some answers for ya."

"Thanks." Jethro muttered, deciding to keep his suspicions to himself. He couldn't remember a time when he'd been more torn than he was in that moment. Part of him desperately wanted to be wrong. He really didn't know if he could raise a baby on his own. But, another part of him _wanted_ to have a baby just as desperately. _It may not be everything I wanted … Or everything I ever dreamed of having … But … Well, maybe I could have Tony's baby …_ But, he really wanted to have a baby with Tony by his side. He wasn't sure he could go it, alone.

* * *

After Gibbs had shown up at work, later that morning, the team could all tell that something was a miss with their leader. He'd been quieter and even more withdrawn that usual, around the office. They all knew something was wrong, but, none of them was brave enough to approach him about it. Instead they all just tried to busy themselves with paperwork at their respective desks.

For his part, Tony couldn't help worrying about his former lover. He'd never seen Jethro so worried about something. At least not about something that none of them knew anything about. Something was definitely on his mind, but – in true Gibbs fashion – he wouldn't say a word to any of them about it.

The rest of the day passed with little to no event. They'd all busied themselves with paperwork until they were all relatively certain their would start bleeding from staring at he computer screens for so long when Gibbs finally dismissed them for the day around seventeen-hundred hours. McGee and Ziva cleared out, first, leaving Tony behind to stare at his boss and former lover in concern as he debated asking him about what had been bothering him. But, after considering it for several moments, he realized he couldn't figure out a way to approach the man that Gibbs would open up to. Sighing lightly, in defeat, he grabbed this things and just left, muttering a quick and quiet "Later, Gibbs." on his way out.

Gibbs just grunted, quietly, as he sat at his desk, staring at his phone – willing it to ring. But, it was after seventeen-hundred hours. The doctor's office would be closed, by now. Growling softly in frustration, he gave up waiting on hearing back on his blood test results as he gathered his coat, his badge, and his gun and decided to head home for the night.

* * *

"Something smells delicious!" Tony smiled, walking into his lover, Wren Hastings's apartment, finding his way into the kitchen where he wrapped his arms around his lover from behind.

"Perfect timing." Wren smiled, turning to plant a chaste kiss to his lover's lips before offering Tony a spoonful of his homemade marinara sauce.

"Mm!" Tony hummed, appreciatively as he tasted his lover's homemade sauce. " _That_ is **delicious** , babe!"

"Would you expect any less?" Wren asked, cheekily. "When you're making Italian food from scratch _for an Italian_ , you gotta bring your A-Game."

"And, you most certainly have." Tony smiled, gently kissing his lover's cheek. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Yeah, sure." Wren replied, gesturing toward the cabinet. "You wanna start setting the table for me?" He asked, hopefully.

"I would love to." Tony smiled, collecting the dishes from the cabinet.

* * *

Leroy Jethro Gibbs snapped out of his thoughts as the piercing cry of his cell phone pierced the air. "Gibbs." He greeted curtly, flipping the phone open.

 _"Jethro!"_ A familiar voice greeted, excitedly. _"It's Doctor Cavanaugh! The office just faxed the results of your lab work over to me and I have good news for you!"_

Gibbs half-smiled, suspecting he already knew what she was going to say. "Well, go ahead, Doc … Lay it on me."

 _"Well, the_ good _news that you have no health issues!"_ Doctor Cavanaugh grinned, brightly. _"And, the_ even better _news … Your blood work showed elevated levels of Beta HCG."_ She smiled. _"Congratulations, Jethro! … You're pregnant!"_

"Pregnant." Jethro repeated, quietly. Even though he'd expected the results … On some level, he'd desperately hoped he was wrong. The confirmation of his suspicions hit him like a sucker punch to the gut – knocking the wind out of him. "H-how … Can you tell … How far along?"

 _"Based on your blood work, I'd say you're about eight weeks along."_ Doctor Cavanaugh replied, slightly less sure of herself. She'd thought she was giving her patient good news. But, judging by his reaction, she wasn't so sure.

If anybody would have been with Gibbs at that moment, they would have seen him visibly pale at the second confirmation. _Shit …_ He thought to himself, grimly. _How the hell am I gonna tell Tony?_ He wondered, desperately. "Thank you, Doctor." He replied, quietly, shutting the phone, without waiting for a response. "Fuck." He sighed, running a hand through his hair and down his face. "Well, you got yourself into one hell of a damn fine mess, this time, Gunny …" He spoke to the empty room.

Pacing around the room, he began to consider what this would mean – not only for himself – but, for Tony as well. As much as it killed him, Tony was in a new relationship. He couldn't even begin to imagine what effects this baby would have on that new relationship. As much as Gibbs loved Tony, he also wanted the younger man to be happy. And, if he was happy with this new man … Gibbs didn't want to mess that up, for him. But, on the other hand, he knew he _had_ to tell Tony about the baby. The younger man had a right to know that he was gonna be a father. Sighing heavily, Gibbs knew he had come to a decision as he flipped the phone open – dialing the all-too familiar number.

* * *

Tony and Wren were half-way through their meal when the shrill ring of Tony's cell phone cut through the air. "It's work." He sighed. He hated interrupting a date, but, he knew if Gibbs was calling him it had to be important. Ever since the break-up Tony only heard from his former lover if they had a case. "DiNozzo." Came the clipped greeting.

 _"Tony … It's Gibbs … Can you come by? …"_ Jethro greeted, cautiously. _"I need to talk to you … I really don't want to do this over the phone."_

That had Tony both worried and confused. _What could Jethro possibly have to talk to me about?_ He wondered, silently, while also hoping it wasn't anything too bad. Rubbing his forehead, briefly, Tony asked "Can't McGee handle it?"

 _"Tony, please …"_ Tony had to admit. He'd never heard Jethro sound so desperate before. It definitely had him worried. _"It's serious."_ That did it. Tony's mind was made up – he was going to talk to Gibbs … Date or no date.

"I'm on my way." Tony replied, rising from the table, hoping something in his voice would be reassuring to the older man. Ever since the break-up, Gibbs had only referred to him as 'DiNozzo'. This was the first time in _weeks_ he'd heard the older man use his given name. Hanging up the phone, Tony was halted by a hand on his arm.

"Where are you going?" Wren questioned, his eyes slightly hurt.

"I'm so sorry, babe." Tony apologized, sincerely, kissing his lover on the lips – lingering just a moment longer than necessary – before pulling away. "But, duty calls." He offered, hating lying to his new partner. But, he wasn't sure how well _'my ex desperately needs to talk to me'_ would go over. Tony had seen how jealous Wren could get and really didn't want to incite an incident, if he didn't need to.

He hated lying to Wren. But, he wanted to know what Jethro had to say before bringing Wren into it. "Okay." Wren sighed, lightly, rising from the table and gathering his lover into his arms for a brief embrace before leaning in for a possessive, hungry kiss. "Be careful."

"I will." Tony promised, pressing a light kiss to his lover's cheek before taking his leave – leaving a frustrated Wren Hastings behind him.

* * *

Tony was surprised when he arrived at Gibbs's house to find him – not in the basement, working on his boat – but, in his living room, pacing anxiously. It reached a point where Tony believed he might just wear a hole in the floor. "Jethro?" He asked, tentatively, not even realizing he'd used the man's given name for the first time since their break-up. "Jethro, what's wrong?" He added, worriedly, halting the man's pacing with a light grip on either of his arms.

Hearing Tony's voice, Jethro snapped out of his wild thoughts as he recognized the younger man's use of his given name. Tony'd only ever called him 'Jethro' while they were together. After the break-up, he'd gone back to 'Gibbs'. _God, how I've missed that …_ He thought to himself, feeling his heart clench painfully, in his chest. It may not have seemed that significant to an onlooker … But hearing Tony's use of his given name meant everything to him. Hearing the evident concern for him in the younger man's voice was almost too much. _I don't deserve his concern …_ He thought to himself, guiltily.

"I just … I don't … I don't know." Jethro sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I um … I went to the doctor, today …" He began, before Tony interrupted.

"Yeah, I heard." Jethro couldn't believe how gentle and compassionate the younger man's voice was. After all that had happened between them, he couldn't believe how much Tony still cared about him. _God … I wish I could just … fucking_ man up _and just … just tell him how much I love him!_ Jethro thought to himself, desperately, as he fought back the tears stinging in his eyes. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Well, I … I don't know that I'd say that something's … _wrong_ , per se …" Jethro began, anxiously. "But, I just got a call from the doctor … The results of the blood work came back and …" Sighing, lightly, he finished his thought. "I'm pregnant."

Those two little words seemed to freeze the world around Tony as he backed away from Jethro in shock. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe the irony of the situation. Yes, he _wanted_ to have a family with Jethro. But, he never thought that would happen after he'd left him. "H-how … far along?" Tony stammered, trying to process the whole situation.

"'Bout eight weeks." Jethro offered, simply. "'Cording to the blood work."

"I see." Tony hummed, deep in thought. "I – and I …" He stammered, unsure of what to say or do, in response to Jethro's revelation.

"Look, Tony …" Jethro began, carefully, trying not to scare the younger man any more than he could help. "I just – I want ya to know … I'm not asking anything of you, okay? The ball's completely in your court on this one. I just – I thought you had a right to know. The choice is entirely yours. You can be as involved as you want to be – or, you can just … You can walk away, if that's what you want -"

"What – ' _Walk away_ '?!" Tony spat, angrily. He couldn't believe what Jethro was insinuating. "How _dare_ you?!" He hissed, subconsciously advancing on the older man until he had him backed into a corner. If he'd been aware of what was going on, it would have blown his mind to see _anyone_ back Leroy Jethro Gibbs into a corner – let him. "Where the hell do you get off … How could you _possibly_ think that I would _ever_ – **_EVER –_** turn my back on my own child?!" He demanded.

"Tony, calm down." Jethro replied, nervously. _Well, that didn't go the way I'd hoped, at all …_ He thought to himself as he frantically wracked his brain for something – _anything –_ that would calm the younger man before him. "I wasn't saying that you _would_ … I was just trying to make the point that I'm not demanding anything from you. I'm happy to take whatever you're willing or able to give – no matter how little. I'm not asking you to put your life on hold because of this." He elaborated, carefully, relieved to see some of the tension bleeding from Tony's shoulders. "I know you're in a new relationship and I can't even begin to fathom what kind of strain this would put on that …" Jethro watched Tony's face change at that sentence. He couldn't quite place the emotion, though. "Tony, I know you're happy with him … I've seen it in your eyes … heard it in your voice when you talk about him … I _want_ you to be happy … Even if it's not with me …" He added, sighing on the last bit. "I don't want this baby to mess things up for you …" He added, not even realizing that his hands had moved to rest on his still-flat stomach as he spoke. " … That's why I understand if you can't –"

"I wanna be there." Tony replied, his voice so gentle and compassionate that it took Jethro's breath away. "Jethro, I wanna be there for you _and_ the baby." Jethro couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I'm _not_ my father … I've spent my _whole life_ trying to be as different from him as physically possible … If Wren can't understand that my child is the single most important thing in my life … Well, then, that's his problem." Backing away, slightly, Tony realized that he needed some time to himself to process everything that was happening and accept that his life had changed, forever. "Look, I'm sorry – I really am … But, I need some time, alone, to think about all this." He added, regretfully. "I-I-I'll see ya tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah." Gibbs choked out, around the growing lump in his throat. "See ya, tomorrow." He repeated, as Tony nodded, mutely, before turning and walking out the door. _Well … That definitely coulda gone worse …_ Jethro thought to himself, unsure of how to feel knowing that Tony would still be an integral part of his life. "Get it together, Gibbs." He muttered under his breath, shaking his head clear as he made his way upstairs to his bedroom – sighing as he sat on the edge of the large, empty, queen bed that only mocked him after Tony'd left him. Stripping for bed, he wrapped the blankets securely around him – fighting against the permanent cold that had a vice-grip on him ever since Tony'd left – trying, and failing, to get some sleep.

* * *

Returning home to his apartment, Tony had undressed in a trance before slipping into an usually hot shower. As the hot water rained down on him, his mind raced with a million thoughts. He and Gibbs had wanted kids. He just always thought they'd be together when they had them. Sighing, he realized the shower was not the answer. Shutting the water off, he stepped out, wrapping a towel around his waist after drying off.

Returning to his bedroom, Tony smiled sadly as he found Jethro's old USMC hoodie that he had found in his bag after leaving the older man. He knew he should return it … But, it still smelled faintly of the older man, and it comforted him. Pulling it on, he slipped into a pair of old gray sweatpants before climbing into bed. Just as he'd been about to try to fall asleep, he heard the buzz of his phone vibrating on the nightstand. Sighing, he reached over and checked the alert. On the screen, he saw he had a new text message from Wren.

 _Call me when you can?_

That was all it had said. Wren had always been mindful of trying not to distract Tony while he was on a case – a fact for which Tony had never been more grateful. He knew he should reply to the man. But, he had too much on his mind and he still hadn't figured out a way to break the news of the baby to his new lover. After considering the options for a moment, he replaced the phone back on the nightstand before turning over under the blankets, trying – and failing, miserably – to get some sleep. He'd hoped that things would be clearer in the morning, though, he suspected he would not be so lucky.

* * *

 **Author's Note:  
** Wow! That certainly came out a bit longer than I'd originally intended. Also, I have an alternate version of the scene where Gibbs tells Tony that he's pregnant in my head where Tony reacts completely differently. If I get enough requests, I'll post it and you can decide which version you like better. In the meantime, don't forget to read and review!

~Skye Coulson


	2. Might Be the Call That He Got

**Put My Heart Down**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:  
** You know the drill …

 **Rating:  
** T

 **Genre:  
** Romance/Family/Angst

 **Pairings:  
** Tibbs  
Tony/OC

 **Lyrics Used:  
** Sara Evans - "You Never Know"

* * *

Might Be the Call That He Got

* * *

 _Might be a cold, blank, stare or a roll of an eye | You know it's slippin' through your fingers but you don't know why | Oh, oh, it might die fast or bleed out slow, you never know_

 _Who can really say | Why love goes away | When it goes it's gone | We can't even see | We're watching as it leaves | Our eyes are closed | You never know the way loves goes_

 _It can go in the middle of the night | If you'd have known, you'd have screamed, you'd have put up a fight | End up alone, but, at least you're right | You never know the way love goes_

 _Don't close the door to you heart 'cause you think it'll break | Yeah, it's a roll of a dice, it's a chance you take | But, once you give it away, it's out of your control | You never know the way loves goes, yeah_

 _The way love goes, oh (You never know) (Never know, never know) …_

* * *

Tony DiNozzo learned just how long a day of desk work could be on little to no sleep. Looking over at Gibbs's desk, he could see that the team leader hadn't been faring much – if any – better. He couldn't help feeling bad for the older man, but, he didn't know what he could do for him. It also didn't help that he'd been receiving messages from Wren all day. Finally, he'd broke down and responded to his lover that he'd meet up with him, after work.

After Gibbs had dismissed them for the day, Tony couldn't leave without checking with Gibbs, first. "Gibbs." He spoke, gently, waiting until he had his boss's attention "Are you all right?" He asked, worriedly.

Leroy Jethro Gibbs had to bite back his honest remark that he hadn't been okay since the day Tony left him. He couldn't burden his younger former lover with that knowledge. "'m fine." Jethro lied. "Just a little tired's all. …" He added, before lowering his voice so that only Tony would hear what he was saying. "Doc says it's normal." He added, dismissively, hoping to satisfy Tony's curiosity.

Tony knew there was more to Jethro's fatigue than just the pregnancy. But, he also knew that – if Jethro didn't want to talk about it – there wasn't anything he could do to change that. "Okay." He nodded, accepting the proffered explanation. Leaning in to Jethro, Tony dropped his voice so that no one else would hear him. "I stand by what I said, last night … I wanna be there for you and the baby … That means you can call me – anytime, day or night – if you need _anything_ … anything _at all_ … Okay?"

Jethro fought with everything he had to suppress the shudder as Tony leaned in toward him. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he replied "Thank you … Tony … I'll keep that in mind."

Satisfied that there was nothing more he could say or do for the father of his unborn child, Tony nodded. "Okay, then … I'll see ya, later, Boss."

"See ya." Jethro uttered, quietly, not trusting his voice to speak any louder. He really couldn't believe how great Tony was being about the baby and the pregnancy. Though, he knew he could only hope that the younger man's caring attention would continue after he told his new lover about the baby.

* * *

Walking into his lover's apartment, Tony was immediately bombarded with questions. "There you are! Where have you been?! I've been so worried!" Wren Hastings demanded, anxiously, gathering his lover into his arms, briefly.

Pulling away from the embrace, Tony replied "I'm sorry … I know I should have called or … something … I just … I've had a lot on my mind." He added, rubbing the back of his neck, anxiously.

"What's goin' on?" Wren questioned, worriedly.

"Look, I have a confession to make and I need you to … not freak out because I have more to say afterward … Okay?" Tony asked, carefully.

"O … kayyy …" Wren replied, nervously. "I promise to let you finish."

"Okay." Tony sighed, lightly, realizing that he still really didn't know where to even begin. Finally, he just decided to wing it. "Okay, well … First of all … I wasn't _completely_ honest with you, last night. My boss _did_ call me, but … But, it wasn't professional …"

Trying to keep his word, Wren drew and released a deep breath as he asked, carefully "What was it?"

"Gibbs called because he had something important to talk to me about …" Tony replied, carefully. "Now, I don't really know how to phrase this, so, I'm just gonna come right out and say it." He added, drawing a steadying breath before finishing his thoughts. "Wren … Jethro's pregnant."

For a moment, Wren couldn't even form a thought of a response to that. "I … Um … Wow." He stammered, frantically wracking his mind for something to say. "Are you gonna get a paternity test?" He asked, not even realizing the effects that question would have on his lover.

Tony simply remained deathly quiet. _I can't_ believe _he just said that …_ The federal agent thought to himself. _Did he **really** just ask me that?!_ He thought to himself, incredulously. "I'm-I'm sorry- _ **What**_?!" Tony hissed, giving the other man a chance to retract his words.

"Well, I just mean that you two haven't been together in weeks …" Wren replied, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

"Yeah!" Tony barked, angrily. "And, Jethro's _**eight** weeks pregnant_!" Tony hissed. "So, yeah … It's my baby! … I don't need a damn DNA test to tell me that!"

"And, you're just gonna take his word for it?" Wren questioned, curiously. "I mean, have you gone with him to the doctor?"

"Are you fucking _kidding me_ , right now?!" Tony roared. "God knows Leroy Jethro Gibbs was not the world's greatest lover!" He conceded. "But, he _never_ lied to me!"

"Sure, not while you were together." Wren shrugged. "But, maybe he went out and hooked up with someone after you broke-up and, now, he's fudging the time line to make you _think_ it's your baby, so, you'll take him back." He offered, dumbfounding his lover.

"Look!" Tony growled, in warning. "If he wanted me back, he wouldn't have given me the choice of whether or not I want to be involved in the baby's life! He flat-out _told_ me he's not asking a damn thing out of me! He said that I can be as involved or un-involved as I want!" Tony ranted, blinded by rage. "He even told me that I could just _walk away –_ free and clear – if that's what I want!" Chest heaving in anger, Tony willed his voice to calm as he spoke again. "Why the hell would he do that if this whole thing is just a scam to get me back?!"

"Well, that settles it, then!" Wren clapped, happily. "It's easy! Just tell him you want nothing to do with him and his bastard chil-" The young man's speech was cut off by a resounding _smack_ as Tony's hand struck him across the face.

"How _**dare**_ you?!" Tony snarled. "First of all – where _the fuck_ do you get off talking about _my unborn baby_ like that?!" He hissed, advancing on his lover until he had him backed into a corner. "But, forget about that … You seem to have forgotten the _one thing_ I have spent my whole fucking life trying to do."

"A-a-and … what-what is that?" Wren stammered, nervously, terrified of the new side he'd unleashed in his special agent.

"You know _**damn** well _that I _**NEVER**_ want to be **anything** like my father!" Tony growled, leaning directly into Wren's face. "If I turn my back on my baby, now, all of that will have been for _nothing_!" He hissed, venomously. "I _will **not**_ abandon my child simply because you're too fucking insecure to trust that I can be there for my child without getting back together with my ex to do it!" Leaning back away from Wren's face, Tony calmed his demeanor as he smoothed the front of his clothes, before speaking again. "Now … You can either accept that my child is **_going_** to be part of my life – _our_ life – or I can walk out that door – right here, right now – and we can never speak again." He spoke in a calm, rational voice. "Now … The choice is yours … What's it gonna be?"

Standing tall, once more, as Tony backed away from him, Wren regained his composure before speaking. "I'm sorry, Tony. You know I trust you more than I've ever trusted anyone …" He began, carefully. "But, I _don't_ trust that ex of yours. You said it, yourself, that you never know where you stand with the man … I'm sorry, but, I just can't trust someone like that not to have ulterior motives … So …" Drawing a steadying breath, he steeled himself for Tony's response. " … The choice is _yours_ , Tony … Your baby … or me. … You can't have both."

Tony just released a curt, disbelieving snort as he replied. "Wow … When ya put it like that, it makes this whole thing _so_ much easier for me … Thank you, Wren." Turning to walk back toward the door, Tony turned back for one last declaration. "We are through, Wren. I never want to hear from you or see your disgusting face, again." He spat, turning back around and storming out of the other man's apartment and – presumably – his life.

* * *

 **Author's Note:  
** So, after much debate, I've decided to just end this chapter, here. I tried adding other segments, but, nothing seemed to … work the way I wanted them to. So, here it is! I hope you've all enjoyed this little offering! Don't forget to drop me a review!

~Skye Coulson


	3. Let's Call Off This Crazy Game

**Put My Heart Down**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:  
** As always, I own nothing.

 **Rating:  
** T

 **Genre:  
** Romance/Family/Drama

 **Pairing:  
** Tibbs

 **Lyrics Used:  
** Lucy Hale - "Kiss Me"

* * *

Let's Call Off This Crazy Game

* * *

 _We talked and talked and talked some more | Over thought this thing right out the door | But, I don't wanna talk no more_

 _Who we kiddin' | Why we pretendin' | Wish you'd just go on and lean in, now | What are you waitin' for_

 _So either tell me I'm insane | Or let's call off this crazy game_

 _You leave here and you drive home | You take a turn a turn down my road | I watch you through my window and hide so you can't see | Don't you know I want you with me | And, it ain't just 'cause I'm tipsy | You can act like it's still over | And you don't miss me | Or you could just kiss me_

* * *

Walking into work, the next morning, Leroy Jethro Gibbs couldn't help noticing the curious change in the appearance of his senior field agent's desk. After a second glance, he could see that the pictures of Tony and his new lover were all gone. Furrowing his brow in a moment of confusion, Jethro wondered what had happened between the two men. Then, it dawned on him. Tony had told Wren about the baby and Wren had left him. That realization cut through Jethro like a knife. He never wanted to mess things up for the younger man. Sinking down into his own chair, Jethro didn't have time to dwell on his self-loathing before the SFA appeared.

"Morning, all!" Jethro had to give the man credit. On the outside, it looked – for all the world – like nothing had happened. Tony was his usual, bright and cheery self. Jethro couldn't take it. He had to talk to Tony – his conscience would never let him rest until he confronted his guilt and made things right with Tony

"DiNozzo." Jethro called, rising from his chair, taking off toward the nearest vacant conference room. "With me." He called, over his shoulder.

Tony stilled, for a moment, unsure of what to make of this turn of events. In the end, he decided it would be best just to go with Jethro and see what the older man wanted. Following his former lover into the vacant conference room, Tony could tell that this would be a private conversation as he locked the door behind him before taking the empty seat next to Jethro.

An awkward silence fell over the two agents as Tony watched Jethro visibly search for something to say. Finally, unable to stand the silence any longer, Tony spoke. "Jethro?" He asked, carefully, resting a concerned hand on the older man's arm. "What-What's wrong? A-Are you okay? … Is the baby okay?"

That seemed to get the older man's attention. Jethro's eyes snapped up to the younger man. "What-Oh … Yeah … Yeah, the baby's fine. I'm fine." He offered, hoping to reassure the younger agent. "I just … I noticed you got rid of all the pictures of you and … What's his name?"

"Wren." Tony replied, bitterly, spitting out the name as if it left an unpleasant taste in his mouth.

"Right." Jethro nodded, curious about Tony's tone when he spoke of the other man. "I'm sorry if this is crossing a line – and feel free to tell me it's none of my damn business – but … What happened between you two?"

Tony sighed, heavily, shifting his gaze to stare at his hands on the table, before him. "I told him about the baby." He replied, his tone completely devoid the bright, cheery, facade he'd displayed for everyone else. "He, uh …" He paused, releasing a snort of derision. "He wanted me to tell you that I didn't want to have anything to do with you or the baby … I won't use his _exact_ words." He elaborated, his voice dripping in malicious venom.

"Oh, God …" Jethro sighed, dropping his head into his hands. "God, Tony … I … I'm so sorry …" He muttered, unknowingly drawing the younger man's curious attention. "I swear … I never wanted this-"

"Jethro, what are you talking about?" Tony couldn't believe what he was hearing. Knowing that Jethro blamed himself for what had happened between him and Wren cut through him like a bullet straight through his heart. This wasn't Jethro's fault. _It's not_ his _fault Wren was a completely selfish and insecure bastard._ Tony thought, to himself, moving Jethro's hands out of the way so that he could take the older man's face into his own hands – emerald green eyes staring into steely blue ones – as he spoke. "Jethro, what happened between Wren and me has _nothing_ do with you, do you understand me?!" He spoke, desperately, hoping that he was getting through to the man that still owned his heart. "Wren didn't leave me because of the baby … _I_ left _him_ because he wanted me to be everything that I **_never_** want to be." He elaborated, adamantly. "He wanted me to turn my back on my child. I will **_not_** be with somebody that would honestly make me choose between them or my child, because my baby – _our_ baby – will _always_ win … It's no contest."

Jethro couldn't believe what he was hearing. Part of him hated Wren Hastings for daring to ask that of Tony. _How dare he?! What right does he have to take a father from his unborn child?!_ He thought to himself, furiously. Another part of him was so moved by the fact that Tony had chosen their baby over Wren. He had chosen to stay in his life – regardless of the personal cost to himself. _I never deserved him …_ Jethro thought to himself, fighting back the tears. "Tony, I … I can't even _begin_ to tell you how much it means to me to hear you say that …"

Tony ached for the thick, watery, emotional tone to Jethro's voice. He wanted to comfort the older man. He just didn't know what he could do for him. Unfortunately, their time had been cut short by a knock on the door. "Boss?!" _Damn it, McGee!_ Tony thought to himself, frustratedly. "Boss! You in there?!"

Jethro blinked his eyes a few times, shaking his head clear of his thoughts, as he rose from his seat. "Be right there, McGee!" He barked, in response, before turning his attention back to Tony. Sighing, he decided he wanted to finally be honest with the younger man. Just not there. He wanted privacy with no one to interrupt them or ruin the moment – just in case it went better than he feared it would. "Listen, Tony … There's something I need to talk to you about … Just … Not here …"

"I can come by your place, later …" Tony offered, uncertainly. He didn't know where Jethro was going with this. He didn't know what Jethro could have to talk to him about that he didn't want to discuss there. But, he was willing to go along with the older man.

"That'd be great." For the first time since the day Tony'd left him, Jethro actually almost smiled. The sight of it made Tony's heart skip a beat. "I'll see you, tonight." He added, before unlocking the door, the team leader returned to work.

Tony watched Jethro leave, still struggling to wrap his mind around what was going on with the older man. _What just happened, here?_ Tony wondered, as he rose from his seat and returned to work. Though, he suspected that his focus wouldn't quite be up to his normal par with this nagging need to know what Jethro wanted to talk to him about.

* * *

After a long day of wondering and waiting, Tony had decided to head home for a shower before meeting with Jethro. _Well, we never set an actual time, so … Can't be late, right?_ Tony didn't quite know why, but, he was treating this like a date. _Maybe I really have gone insane …_ He briefly wondered as the hot water rained down upon him. After his shower, he stepped out and wrapped a towel around his face – rubbing a second towel through his hair – before moving into his bedroom.

Opening his closet, his eyes almost immediately landed on the t-shirt and jeans combo that Jethro had always loved. He wasn't sure if he was just feeling a little sentimental or … Well, he really didn't know _what_ was going through his mind … But, he pulled the shirt and the jeans out of his closet before pulling a fresh pair of boxer-briefs out of his drawer.

Once he'd finished dressing, Tony dabbed on some of his favorite cologne before grabbing his keys before heading out the door. Climbing into his car, Tony DiNozzo's mind was racing a million miles an hour trying to figure out what Jethro could possibly want to talk to him about. He figured it probably had something to do with his recent break-up with Wren, but … That still didn't really answer his questions. He spent the entire drive to Jethro's house lost in thought. For once, he was cursing the fact that his new apartment was across town from where his former lover lived. Then, again … after their break-up, he hadn't really expected to be going back there, either.

* * *

Jethro had abandoned trying to work on his boat about an hour ago when he finally admitted that his mind and his heart wasn't really in it. He was too distracted by waiting for Tony to arrive. He'd also been worried about what might happen if he'd completely misjudged the situation and if he was just making a damn fool of himself with what he was planning. After abandoning the boat and the basement, he'd taken to pacing in the living room. He seemed to be doing a lot of that, these days, he realized. The newly discovered father-to-be was so deep in his thoughts that he hadn't even heard Tony's car pulling into his driveway.

* * *

After pulling into Jethro's driveway, Tony shut the lights off and killed the engine before sitting in the car and trying to gather his thoughts. _Get it together, DiNozzo!_ He told himself with a deep, steadying breath. "You're acting like a damn school girl on prom night!" He muttered, under his breath, summoning the courage to finally open the door and step out of the car.

Shutting the car door behind him, though, he soon realized that getting out of the car was only half the battle as he all-too-soon found himself standing at Jethro's door. He considered knocking or ringing the bell. But, he abandoned those ideas, rather quickly realizing that he hadn't even knocked the last time he was here. He couldn't escape the knowledge of the fact that this would likely be the second time, in a row, that his life would change by coming here. Drawing a deep breath for courage, he turned the knob and stepped through the door.

* * *

Walking through the door, Tony half-smiled at the irony when he saw Jethro pacing in the living room – just the same as he had done when he'd informed Tony that he was pregnant. "You really are gonna wear a hole in the floor, ya know …" He offered, in an awkward greeting, as Jethro halted his pacing.

The younger man saw the nervous expression on the older man's countenance and grew even more curious. "Hi, Tony." Jethro offered, lamely – mentally giving himself a head-slap – as he moved toward the couch, gesturing for Tony to follow. Once his former lover had joined him on the couch, Jethro shifted to face him, better, as he frantically wracked his mind for what he wanted to say. "I know you're … You're probably wondering … Why I asked you to come here, tonight …" He began, nervously, mentally cursing himself for his awkwardness.

"The thought crossed my mind, yeah …" Tony nodded, curiously, prompting the older man to continue.

Sighing heavily, Jethro decided to just go for broke. "Look, Tony … I know, the day you left me … I know you wanted to know … Why I never … Never told you that I loved you …" He admitted, reluctantly. "And, you're right. It wasn't fair – all those times you told me that you loved me and I … I just … I didn't say a word." He added, guilt stabbing him straight in the heart. "And, I hated myself for it … But, the truth of the matter is …" Releasing a deep breath he'd never even realized he'd taken, Jethro continued his confession. "The truth of the matter is that I _did_ love you …" Tony couldn't believe what he'd heard. _Jethro had loved me?! … Why … What did I do … Where did I go wrong for him to stop?_ Tony wondered, desperately, remaining silent as he sensed that Jethro still had more to say. "And, that I … I never stopped." Jethro cursed himself for the way that his voice trembled, brokenly, as he spoke.

 _I don't believe it …_ Tony thought to himself, in complete and utter shock. _Jethro not only love_ _ **d**_ _me … But, he_ **still** _loves me?!_ The younger man couldn't believe what he was hearing. "W-Why? …" Tony stammered, his mind scrambling for the words for what he wanted to say. "Why didn't you tell me?!" He wondered, desperately. "Jethro, all you had to do was say those three little words – just once – and, I never would have left that night!"

"I know." Jethro replied, his voice still watery and trembling. "I _know_ that …" He added, helplessly. "But, I …" He sighed, in frustration. "Damn it, Tony, I was _scared_!" He finally admitted, the last of his defenses shattering to the ground. As much as he hated feeling vulnerable and open and exposed … He had to admit … It felt pretty damn good to finally be honest with Tony.

If Tony was shocked, before, his mind had been completely blown away, now. _Jethro … Leroy Jethro Gibbs … Was_ **scared** _?! …_ He thought to himself, in complete and utter disbelief. He had been so blown away that he hadn't realized he'd remained silent for a bit too long until he felt Jethro shift away from him.

"I-I-It's okay …" Jethro stammered, his voice growing increasingly thick and watery, as he began to realize his mistake. "I … I-I don't … I don't expect you to reciprocate or … Or anything." He offered, brokenly. "I just-"

"Jethro." The voice that spoke his name and the grip on his shoulder were both so gentle and warm that they commanded Jethro's attention as he slowly turned to face Tony, again. "What … What were you so afraid of?" Unsure of what to say or do in that moment, Tony just went with the question weighing heaviest on his mind.

Looking into Tony's brilliant emerald green eyes, Jethro saw something in them that he couldn't quite identify. But, it had begun to make him hope. "Tony … I've never felt this way about anybody since Shannon." He confessed. "And, I lost her … She was taken from me and I … I just … I didn't know if I could survive that kind of loss, again." Sighing heavily, Jethro shifted his gaze to his hands in his lap, as he released a humorless chuckle. "Of course, the irony of the situation isn't lost me …" He added, sarcastically. "My fear of losing you, well … Looks like it _caused_ me to lose you …"

"Hey." Tony called out, gently, as he reached out to grip Jethro's hands in his own. "Look at me." The order was so gentle and tender, Jethro had no choice but to comply. "I'm here, aren't I?" He offered, with a tentative half-smile. "You haven't lost me, Jethro." Seeing the desperate, confused countenance staring back at him, Tony took his cue to elaborate. "I never stopped loving you, either."

Leroy Jethro Gibbs was blown away by what he'd just heard. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that this unbelievably wonderful and utterly amazing, incredible, man before him was still in love with him. After everything he'd done, Tony still loved him. "You …" He began, his voice scarcely above a whisper as it cracked, and trembled. "You didn't?"

"Not even for a moment." Tony replied, his voice conveying the serious nature of his declaration. "Jethro, I couldn't stop loving you even if I _wanted_ to." He added, his voice so warm and full of the love that he felt for the older man, that it took Jethro's breath away. "And, believe me … When I first walked out that door … I never wanted anything more than to stop loving you." That admission tore Jethro apart on the inside. But, he understood where Tony was coming from and couldn't blame the younger man. "I thought that … not loving you would somehow make leaving you easier … But, now … Now that I know how you've felt all along … I've never been so happy to be denied what I _thought_ I wanted _**in my life**_!" He added, gently squeezing Jethro's hands in his own to drive his point home.

"Tony, I …" Jethro choked out, around the growing lump in his throat. "I don't know what to say …"

"You could try to say something." Tony smirked as he shrugged, casually. "Or you could just kiss me." He smiled, leaning in to his older lover – as Jethro leaned in and closed the gap between the two of them – capturing his lips in a tender, passionate kiss full of all the emotions they'd both bottled up for far too long. The two men drew the kiss out for as long as they possibly could until the need for oxygen grew too great to ignore. Resting their foreheads together, Tony rested his hands on either side of Jethro's neck – just where the head and neck met – as Jethro did the same with him. "I love you so much, Jethro." Tony breathed, awestruck that they'd finally gotten here.

"I love you, too, Tony." Now that he'd finally told Tony the truth, Jethro was surprised by how easy the words 'I love you' came to him, now. "I love you so much that it physically _hurt_ to be away from you for the last several weeks."

"I know." Tony replied. "I know, it hurt me, too." He admitted on a breathless whisper.

Finally pulling away from Tony just far enough to look the younger man in the eye, properly. "What about Wren?"

Sighing lightly, Tony leaned into the back of the couch as he looked into Jethro's piercing blue eyes – eyes that had haunted his dreams every night after he walked out on him – as he spoke, again. "To tell ya the truth … Wren was just a rebound thing … I just … I wanted to get you outta my head … But … Every time I was with him … All I could think about was … Was how much I wished he was you."

Jethro couldn't believe how stupid he'd been to allow his irrational fears get the best of him. They could have avoided all this mess if he would have just grown a pair and told Tony how he felt, in the first place. "I'm so sorry I let it get this far …" He muttered before a warm, index finger was pressed.

"Ah-ah!" Tony chided, playfully. "Rule number six." He added, unable to stop the smile that spread across his face like wildfire before Jethro growled, playfully, as he pinned Tony to the couch, slowly lowering himself down onto the younger man – capturing his young lover's lips with his own, in a searing kiss. He had a _lot_ of making up to do … And, he couldn't wait to get started.

* * *

 **Author's Note:  
** This was for all those of you anxious to see Tony and Jethro's reunion! Here it is! This chapter was inspired by the song "Kiss Me" by Lucy Hale! If you haven't heard it, I **_HIGHLY_** recommend you listen to it while reading this chapter! I just feel like it perfectly captures Tony and Jethro's feelings in this chapter! Tony's in particular! Lol. Anyway, as always, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to drop me a review! Feel free to request the Tibbs stories you'd like to see me write!

~Skye Coulson


	4. Moments That Matter

**Put My Heart Down**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:  
** You know the drill.

 **Rating:  
** T

 **Genre:  
** Romance/Family/Drama

 **Pairing:  
** Tibbs

 **Lyrics Used:  
** Corbin Bleu - "Moments That Matter"

* * *

Moments That Matter

* * *

 _Looking back on the photo album of my life | It's the little things that make us smile (that that that that make us smile) | Like the very first time you discovered true love (uh) | It's a feeling you can't describe | But it always stays on your mind_

 _Or the first time you hear a song on the radio | That gives you goosebumps all over from head-to-toe | Or the time you stayed up all night talking on the phone | And you realized she's staring up at the same star as you | That's what gets me sentimental (sentimental)_

* * *

Tony DiNozzo smiled as he followed his pregnant lover into the bullpen. Things seemed to be going exactly as he'd always wanted them to. It had been roughly four weeks since he'd left Wren Hastings and reunited with the the only person he'd ever truly loved – Leroy Jethro Gibbs. And, they had big plans for this evening. Jethro had another check-up appointment, later that afternoon and, after the appointment, they were planning to announce the pregnancy and their reunion to their friends over at Gibbs's place. However, he soon spotted a letter on his desk. "What's this?" He questioned, curiously, eyeing McGee and Ziva.

"I dunno." Timothy McGee shrugged, thoughtlessly. "Someone from the mail office just came in and left it on your desk." He added, off-handedly, focusing on the mountain of paperwork on his desk.

 _There's no return address._ Tony observed, silently, carefully opening the envelope. Dumping the contents onto his desk, he was relieved when there was no powered substance on or around the paper that fell on to his desk. _How was it even delivered without a return address?_ Picking the paper up, he silently read it, to himself.

* * *

 _Tony_

 _You may or may not have realized this, yet. But, leaving me was the single biggest mistake you have ever made in your life. Well, if you haven't already figured that out, don't worry. I'll be glad to help you out. Don't worry, when you least expect it, everything will become clear to you. I know you feel like you have to go back to that wrung-out Marine has-been that looks like he's been rode hard and put away wet. But, you don't have to be stuck with him! Don't you get it?! I was SO much better to you! And, you know that! I can make you happy in ways that old fart could never even dream of! But, don't worry. Like I said, I'll help you see all that in due time. Until then, just know that I'll be waiting for you._

 _Love,  
_ _Wren_

* * *

Tony quickly folded the paper up and stuffed it into his pocket. _I can't believe this!_ He thought to himself. _The guy just doesn't take a freakin' hint!_ Tony was engrossed in his thoughts – outraged that Wren would even think such things – it took a moment for him to register that Jethro was calling his name.

"Tony?" Jethro called. When he received no response, he tried again, slightly louder. "DiNozzo!" He barked, satisfied when Tony snapped to attention.

"Yeah, Boss?" Tony replied, reflexively.

"Somethin' you wanna share with the rest of the class?" Gibbs asked. The rest of the team only heard the sarcasm in his voice. But, Tony could hear the worry and concern that the sarcasm was meant to conceal.

"Nah." Tony replied, dismissively. "It's nothin'." Seeing the disbelieving stare in Jethro's piercing blue eyes, he just offered his lover a look that said _If it were something, I'd tell you …_ Or at least he hoped that was what his eyes were saying. And, it seemed to work as Jethro stared at him a moment longer before nodding.

"Well, then…" Gibbs replied. "Get back to work." He added, gesturing toward the pile of paper work on Tony's desk.

"On it, Boss." Tony replied, relieved that – for the time being, at least – Jethro seemed to buy his story. _Jethro's got enough on his plate … He doesn't need to deal with Wren's jealous, petty, ramblings._ He thought to himself as he focused on his paper work.

* * *

 _That's what life's all about (yeah yeah) | That's what gets me all emotional | Bothered with all the things I can do without | 'Cause I figured out these are the moments that matter (matter) | And I figured out that these are the moments that mean the most to me | 'Cause I know I got friends, trust, family and love | All around me that should be enough | And, I figured out that these are the moments that matter to me, matter to me_

* * *

Later that evening, Tony and Jethro had arrived at Jethro's house to prepare for their friends' impending arrival. They had just finished setting everything up when Jethro whirled around, pinning Tony in the corner. "Mmm." Tony purred, smiling, seductively. "I don't know where this is going, but, I like it."

"Tony, be serious." Jethro replied, his tone clearly indicating that now was not the time for flirtatious jokes. "I wanna know what was in that letter." He demanded, softly.

Rolling his eyes, dismissively, Tony tried to reassure his lover. "Jethro … I meant what I said … It's nothing, really."

"Don't lie to me, Tony." Jethro replied, his voice pleading. "I saw the look on your face. I know it's bothering you." Sighing lightly, Jethro added "Tony, talk to me."

Sighing in resignation, Tony finally replied "Look, it's just … It's just Wren being jealous and petty … It's nothing to worry about."

"Then, you won't mind telling me just what he said?" Jethro challenged, clearly not buying Tony's attempts to downplay the letter.

"All he said was that…" Tony began, recalling the contents of the letter he'd received, earlier, that day. "…I haven't realized it, yet, but, I made a huge mistake in leaving him and that he was gonna show me what a mistake it was when I least expect it." The younger man sighed. "Jethro, I can literally _see_ the wheels turning in your head. It's nothing. He's just being jealous. He just wants to get in my head and make me question leaving him and that's not gonna happen. Okay?" He offered, hoping to assuage his lover's concerns. "I love _you_ and I'm not going anywhere."

"That's not what I'm worried about and you know it, Tony." Jethro argued. "I don't like the way he worded that bit about 'showing you what a mistake you made _when you least expect it_ '." He added, emphasizing the threat. "Tony, I really think you should take it, seriously. I think you need to report this…"

"And, what good could come of that?" Tony challenged, getting slightly annoyed that Jethro wouldn't let it go. "You know the drill, Jethro! All they would do is waste other agents' time by putting me on a protective detail."

"Well, maybe you should consider it." Jethro argued, unable to believe that Tony wasn't taking this seriously. "Tony, please … Just think about it, okay? … For me?" He begged, hoping that – if he couldn't get Tony to look out for himself – perhaps the younger man would do it for him and their baby.

Looking into Jethro's piercing blue eyes, he knew there was nothing he would ever deny the older man. "Okay, fine." He sighed, in defeat. "I will _**think**_ about it." He clarified, quickly, planting a chaste kiss on his lover's lips. "But, only because I love you so much."

Smiling in relief, Jethro replied "Thank you, Tony." Leaning in for a second kiss, both men were annoyed by the sound of the front door opening as they heard their friends walk in. "I have _got_ to start locking that door." Jethro growled, frustrated by the interruption.

Chuckling lightly, Tony replied "No complaints, here." He grinned, bemused by his lover's frustration. Just before Jethro could step out into the living room to join their friends, Tony gripped his arm, lightly. "Hey." He added, planting a light kiss to the older man's cheek. "We'll have plenty of time to finish this, later." He purred in Jethro's ear, thoroughly enjoying the way Jethro's eyes closed in lust-filled anticipation and the lust-filled shivers that rolled down Jethro's spine.

"I'm holding you to that." Jethro replied, gruffly, kissing Tony's cheek, lightly.

* * *

"Hey, guys!" Tony greeted, brightly, walking into the room to join the rest of his friends, before taking his seat next to Jethro on the couch.

"So, what's the big surprise?" Tim asked, curiously. Though, he suspected that it had something to do with how close Tony and Gibbs were sitting together on the sofa. Glancing around the room, he could tell by everyone else's faces that he wasn't alone in that suspicion.

"Well, guys…" Tony replied, unable to stop the excited smile spreading across his face even if he wanted to. And, he definitely didn't want to. "Gibbs and I have a couple of announcements to make." He began, scarcely able to contain his excitement.

"Well?!" Abby prompted, excitedly. "Get on with it!"

"Yes!" Ziva replied, equally excited. "Do not keep us hanging!"

"Baby steps, my friends." Tony replied, grinning to himself at his inadvertent word play. "First of all…" He added, smiling lovingly, as he took Jethro's hands in his own – earning a small, excited, squeal from Abby – before continuing. "Jethro and I have decided to give our relationship another try." He smiled, unable to take his eyes off of his older lover.

"Yay!" Abby shrieked, leaping out of her seat and crossing the room to wrap both Tony and Jethro in one of her famous hugs. "I'm so glad you guys are back together!" She added, though muffled by Tony's shoulder.

"So are we." Tim offered, smiling warmly.

"Yes." Ziva smiled, excitedly. "We could not be happier for the two of you!"

Suddenly, a question occurred to Tim. "Wait … What about Wren?" He questioned, curiously.

"Well, that actually brings us to our next announcement." Tony began, cryptically, before turning to Jethro. "But, I think I'll let Jethro take this one." He smiled, excitedly.

"Thank you, Tony." Jethro smiled. "Well, I don't really know quite how to say this so … I'm just gonna come right out and say it…" He couldn't escape the anxious excitement that came over him as he prepared to announce his pregnancy to his friends and the people that had become his family over the years. "I'm pregnant." The words were simple, but, elicited indescribable excitement from the rest of their family.

"Oh my God!" Abby squealed, squirming excitedly in her seat. "Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!"

"Congratulations!" Ziva replied, smiling.

"How far along are you?" Tim asked, happy for his friends.

"About twelve weeks, now." Jethro smiled as Tony squeezed his hands, supportively.

"You've been hiding this from us for _three months_ now?!" Abby shrieked, though, her her contagious smile belied her feigned indignation.

"Well, to be fair, I just found about this – myself – about a month ago." Jethro replied, still smiling uncontrollably.

"That's … actually kind of what led to me leaving Wren." Tony drawled, reluctant to place a dark cloud over their excitement. Turning to Jethro, he offered the man a reassuring squeeze of the hands as he returned his focus to the group around them. "When Jethro told me about the baby, he offered to let me be either as _involved_ or _un_ -involved as I wanted to be." He offered, saddened by the thought of his time away from Jethro. "Wren was convinced that Jethro was gonna try to use the baby to try to guilt me into taking him back."

"That is absurd!" Ziva replied, outraged by the thought that someone would accuse their leader of something like that. "Gibbs would never do such a thing."

"I know!" Tony assured his friend. "I know that … And, when I told Wren what Jethro said – that I could just walk away, if that was what I wanted – he told me to tell Jethro that I wanted nothing to do with him or the baby." Tony sighed, grateful for the reassuring squeeze from Jethro's hands.

"Unbelievable!" Ziva hissed, furious that anyone would dare try to take a father away from an unborn child.

"That's insane!" Tim agreed, equally outraged.

"My sentiments, exactly." Tony replied, darkly, as Jethro released one of his hands to gently rub his younger lover's back, soothingly. "That's why I told him that he was asking me to choose between him and my child … And, in that scenario, my child wins – hands down – it's no contest." Tony added, determined. "At that point, I hadn't even considered getting back together with Jethro, yet. All I wanted was just to be there for my baby."

"Aww, Tony." Abby cooed, quietly, crossing the room, once again, to wrap Tony in another one of her famous hugs.

"Thanks, Abs." Tony smiled, grateful for the young scientist's support. After she returned to her seat, Tony continued with the story. "Anyway … When I told Jethro about Wren's reaction to the baby … well, we got to talking and … one thing led to another, and … here we are." Tony explained, simply, as Jethro leaned into his side, allowing Tony to wrap his comforting arms around him. _God, I've missed this._ Both the parents-to-be thought to themselves in unwitting unison.

"Well, I – for one – could not be happier for the two of you!" Tim smiled, warmly.

"I second that sentiment." Ziva smiled.

* * *

 **Author's Note:  
** As always, I hope you've all enjoyed this little offering. Don't forget to drop me a review!

~Skye Coulson


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